Product and Text in Localisation: Why Are the Two Concepts Separated?

Two words are used side by side again and again in the localisation literature, yet they do not say the same thing: “product” and “text”. The industry mostly says “product”, while translation studies prefers the concept of “text”. This distinction between product and text is one of the keys to understanding what localisation is.

Contents

Jiménez-Crespo (2024) uses both terms deliberately, because each points to a different reality. In this article we examine why the concepts of “product” and “text” are separated, where they overlap and what this distinction changes in practice.

Why does localisation speak of a “product”?

The industry chose the term “product” for a reason. A digital device that is localised has to meet the technical and legal requirements specific to a given region before it can be sold there. In the example LISA (2004) gives, a device may need a power plug suited to a particular region in order to be sold there.

The localisation process can therefore cover every kind of legal, technical and regulatory matter beyond the transfer of language alone. A localised digital marketing campaign, for instance, may have to comply with local rules on how products may be promoted to different age groups.

In short, the concept of “product” brings the commercial and regulatory dimension of the work to the fore. Translating a text is not enough; the product has to be made sellable.

What does the concept of “text” cover?

In contemporary translation studies the concept of “text” is far broader. A text covers not only the written words we read but every meaning-making mode used to convey information. This is the core of the concept of the “multimodal text”.

A video game, for example, is a single, integral “text” that conveys information to the user through different channels (linguistic text, sound, video, movement, touch). Image and writing, sound and interactive elements combine to produce meaning.

This broad definition shows why localisation is not merely the translation of words. The text as a whole is multimodal; we “read” an icon, a colour or a sound as well. The concept of “text” therefore brings the communicative and semantic dimension of the work to the fore.

Comparing the two concepts

The two concepts do not exclude each other; they light up different aspects. The table below summarises the basic differences.

Dimension	Product	Text
Emphasis	Commercial, sellable object	A meaning-making whole
Scope	Legal, technical, regulatory	Linguistic, visual, auditory modes
Source	Industry terminology	Translation studies terminology
Example	An application that is sold	A non-profit website

As the table makes clear, every product contains a text but not every text is a product. This asymmetry explains why the two concepts are kept apart.

Is every product a text, and every text a product?

Both terms are in use because not every “text” that is localised is a “product”. A non-profit website is not sold and is not part of a commercial process, yet it is still a text to be localised.

The reverse also holds: every product normally contains text. An application is a sellable product, but the interface wording, error messages and help pages inside it are texts. The two concepts, in other words, are different faces of the same object.

You can find the conceptual background to this distinction in our knowledge centre, and look at our translation services page for your corporate needs.

The practical consequences of the distinction

This conceptual distinction has a direct effect on how projects are planned. Seeing a job as a “product” means taking the legal and technical layers into account. Seeing it as a “text” makes it possible to focus on semantic coherence and multimodality.

The following steps help to frame a project correctly:

1. Establish whether the object is a product that is sold or content with no commercial purpose.
2. If it is a product, add the legal and regulatory requirements to the scope.
3. Assess whether the text is multimodal (image, sound, interaction).
4. Define the scope so that it takes in both the product and the text dimension.

These steps make sure that neither concept is overlooked. Incomplete framing leads later to both delay and additional cost.

Why is the product and text distinction overlooked?

The distinction between product and text often goes unnoticed, because the two concepts are interwoven in the same object. When you look at an application you see the “text”, while the “product” layer that makes it sellable stays invisible. That invisibility is what causes the distinction to be skipped.

Another reason is that industry and academia use different terms. When the industry says “product” it means a practical, commercial reality; when academia says “text” it means a semantic whole. When the two vocabularies are used side by side, the distinction blurs.

Making the distinction visible is the key to framing the project correctly from the outset. Thinking of a job as both product and text makes sure that neither the legal layer nor semantic coherence is overlooked.

The limits of the multimodal text

The breadth of the concept of text gives rise to a difficulty peculiar to localisation: constrained translation. If a text consisted of writing alone, the translator could work freely. In a multimodal text, however, the writing produces meaning together with sound, image and interaction.

This makes the translation dependent on the other modes. A dubbing script, for example, has to match the lip movement on screen. A subtitle has to fit within a given character limit. The writing is translated not on its own but as part of a whole.

A multimodal text therefore offers the translator both richness and restriction. Meaning arrives through more than one channel, but every channel calls for accommodation to the others. Striking that balance is an art peculiar to localisation.

Non-commercial localisation

It is important to remember that localisation is not always commercial. The website of a non-profit organisation, a public service application or an educational platform is localised too. These are not “products”, but they are “texts”.

In projects of this kind commercial concerns move into the background; what comes to the fore is access and inclusion. The technical and cultural adaptation requirements remain the same nonetheless. The text dimension holds even where the product dimension does not.

This shows why the concept of “text” is more encompassing than that of “product”. Not every localisation job produces a product, but every localisation job deals with a text. Keeping the two concepts apart makes this variety visible.

The origin of this distinction lies in the industry’s earliest definitions. Organisations such as LISA deliberately chose the word “product” when they defined localisation. The reason was to stress that localisation is not only a linguistic intervention but also contains physical, technical and regulatory layers. For a product to be sold in a given region, it has to comply with that region’s legal and technical requirements. The word “product” gathers this broad scope into a single term.

The preference of translation studies for “text” springs from a different concern. Contemporary theory sees the text not simply as writing but as the whole of all the modes that produce meaning. This view makes it possible to treat a video game or a website as a single multimodal text. Image, sound, movement and interaction together make up that text. The word “text” brings this semantic wholeness to the fore and places the translator’s work within it.

Using the two terms side by side is in fact a richness. Product recalls the commercial and regulatory reality of the work; text recalls its semantic and communicative nature. Looking through both lenses when planning a localisation project makes sure that no dimension is overlooked. Someone who says only “product” may neglect semantic coherence; someone who says only “text” may neglect the legal layer. Seeing the two together is the basis of a holistic approach.

This dual view is bound up with the concept of the user as well. It is no accident that localisation speaks of a “user” rather than a “reader”. A user does not merely read the text; they interact with it, choose their own path and use the product. This interactive nature reinforces why both the concept of “product” and the concept of “text” are needed. A product is used, a text produces meaning; the two come together in the user’s experience.

In the end the distinction between product and text is not an abstract game with concepts but a practical planning tool. Thinking of a project in both of these dimensions makes it possible to define the scope in full. Legal compliance, technical adaptation and semantic coherence are attended to at the same time. This holistic approach reduces the surprises that may emerge later and sets the project on firmer ground.

The Türkiye context

In Türkiye, localisation projects mostly focus on the “text” dimension, while the legal and regulatory layer of the “product” dimension can be overlooked. Yet selling an application on the market in Türkiye also calls for compliance with regulations such as KVKK. The information notices on the processing of user data are an inseparable part of the product.

The part Turkish plays in the multimodal text also deserves attention. Because the language is agglutinative, interface texts grow longer, and this affects not only the “text” but also the “product” dimension, such as screen space and design. If the wording on a button overflows, the problem is both textual and product-related.

For the corporate buyer the conclusion is clear: when opening a digital product to Türkiye, both the text and the product dimension have to be taken into account. This article is for general information and is not legal advice.

What does this mean for you?

If you are buying translation, thinking about whether your job is a “text” or a “product” lets you define the scope correctly. Seeing both dimensions reduces surprises.

1. Clarify whether your object is a commercial product.
2. If it is, have the legal compliance items added to the quote.
3. State your multimodal content (image, sound) in the scope.
4. Allow for the fact that text expansion may affect the design.

To have your project’s scope assessed in both of its dimensions, you can tell us what you need through our quote form. The right frame is the first step towards the right budget.

Frequently asked questions

Why does localisation speak of a “product”?

Because the digital object being localised is most often a product that is sold, and it contains legal, technical and regulatory layers. A device’s plug or the rules on marketing, for example, are also part of the product.

What does the concept of “text” cover?

In contemporary translation studies a text covers not only the written words but all the modes that produce meaning, such as image, sound and movement. A game, in this sense, is a single multimodal text.

Is every product a text?

Every product contains text, but not every text is a product. A non-profit website, for instance, is not sold; it is not a product, yet it is still a text to be localised.

Does this distinction affect the price?

Yes. A job handled as a product brings legal and technical adaptation items into play, whereas the translation of text alone has a narrower scope.

References

• Jiménez-Crespo, M. A. (2024). Localization in Translation. Routledge (Chs. 1-2).
• LISA (2004). Localization Industry Primer (2nd ed.). Localization Industry Standards Association.
• Pérez González, L. (2019). “Multimodality.” In Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies.